Long Lost Life
by Quincy101
Summary: Shaya has lived with her clan her entire life but tragedy forces her away from them. After then spending 3 years in the circle of Magi, she isn't sure she can handle being amongst all the chantry going humans and templars. But when an opportunity to escape rises, she is thrown into a new world of dangerous power and hidden magic.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Shaya lay curled up under her covers, the soft blanket hiding her from the discriminatory gazes of her fellow mage Apprentices. She hugged her knees to her chest, in a fetal position on her bed. She could hear a group of girls a bit off from her, gathered around in a circle as they exchanged juicy bits of gossip. Everyone was still reeling over the recent escape of the mage Jowan. Shaya had moved around the tower in awe since then, trying to collect as much information as she could without looking suspicious. She tried to look casual about it, snickering with other girls when they were more welcoming to her, but on the inside she was desperate. All she wanted was to be out of this tower, to be free from its confining walls. Sometimes the hatred for this place was so great she ran from the room to find an empty class, where she threw all the rage she had as a wall in the form of bursts of flames or shards of razor sharp ice. Then she'd bundle up into a ball and sob until her body had no more tears to cry. Then she'd pick herself up and wipe her face clean. She'd grip her clan's amulet around her neck and pray to the creators that they'd rescue her from this place.

Shaya's dalish heritage was something she had to reframe from sharing with the other mages here, human or elf they were shocked by the thought. Though she didn't kid herself in thinking that no one knew. She had no doubt that any alianage elf who saw her would notice the intricate blood writing on her face and point her out. Sometimes she heard their harsh words "barbarian, outlaws, criminals." Sometimes even cannibal was thrown into the mix. And Shaya hated it, though sometimes revelled in it. On days when she was most furious, she'd muttered made up curses to an apprentice who called her a barbarian, sending him running in fear. She'd then laugh so loudly until a watchful Templar was forced to scold her impudence. That was another thing she disliked, the templars, always the templars. In each room, down each hall, wielding their shields and swords of their chantry and keeping their eyes on her. She was always careful when she suspected that they were watching, her own beliefs she tried to hide away, though Never give it up. Once she remembered a woman coming to sit beside her when she sat alone in the library. The mage had been an elf, recently harrowed and she watched Shaya in wonder. She asked her questions about being Dalish and Shaya asked her about the alianage. The mage had been named Dania and she had grown up in the alianage and had come to the tower at around ten years old. Shaya got the impression that her life in the alianage was not pleasant. Shaya told her about her clan, about the Halla, about her mother and father, her closest friend, Mutaar and her brother, Kidrah. Danai sat in silence, hanging on each word she spoke. She then asked Shaya about her tattoos and what they meant. Shaya explained the coming-of-age ritual to her, known to her people as Vallaslin, or blood writing, how she remembers going through hers at twelve. It was a ritual done in total silence. Shaya remembered having to hold back whimpers of pain on occasion but had never been more honoured when it was over. She was a woman now, she could compete to be first or marry or become a healer. So many choices for her. Then they were taken from her. After that Dania and Shaya became more friendly, though they hardly saw much of each other as she had moved quarters and Shaya was still training. Then eventually they stopped talking and Shaya had been sad about it for a while. Then she accepted it and returned to introvercy, only speaking when spoken to, which was only ever with her teachers or the first enchanter. She liked Irving, though she couldn't open up to the elderly human like she had to the young elf.

One of The only solace she ever took in the tower was in practising her magic. Her own talents greatly surpassed the other apprentices and they all knew it. Even some of her teachers looked on the sixteen year old elf as she cast spell after spell against the enchanted barriers. Though lately, she had felt the need to dumb herself down a bit, start making mistakes and messing up spells to through their gazes from her. She often saw the smug looks on the other teenagers when she "messed up" and the looks of disappointment on the faces of her teachers. But she knew she couldn't risk it. She couldn't go through her harrowing yet, couldn't let them take her phylactery away before she found a way to get to it and be rid of it. Then she'd find an escape. She had a plan... she just needed to put it together.

So for now she lay in silence, hearing the girls talking about one of the templars, one named Cullen. Shaya didn't dislike him as much. He was a young, relatively attractive human who seemed far more sympathetic to the mages then most. She had never spoken to him herself, but she knew that many of the other girls had spent many days fawning over him. She tried to bite back a snicker as she listened to their talk, it moved from Cullen to Ostagar, about a battle with darkspawn. The thought sent chills up her spine. Then the topic changed to her, they must have not known she was present and her body went stiff with fear and rage. They were calling her words like "knife ears" and "savage". It was enough to cause her to scream. But she kept quiet, hearing them mock her and call her a show off. Then she heard the comment on how she arrived.

"I heard the templars found her in the forests, amidst a decimated camp. Heard it was slavers who attacked them. Killed a few of them. I think she fought them. I heard Cullen mention that she was holding a body in her arms, a savage elf like her..." She recognised the voice as one of the human apprentices, a girl who usually ignored her.

"Please, no one knows with those savages, I bet she maybe killed them, went nuts I'll bet..."

Shaya took a deep breath and slowly sat up, pushing the blanket off and rising up. She walked out the room with her head held up, staring straight ahead and as she passed the girls, who now stared at her horror struck and sick with embarrassment. She turned her head to them and nodded politely before leaving the room. The moment the door closed behind her, she broke into a run, sprinting from the quarters as fast as she could, tears streaking her face and eyes burning red with rage and sorrow. She found herself pushing through into the library once more. There was no one there except for a young human girl, bent over a book. Shaya closed she eyes and straightened up, walking as best she could to the other end of the room, finding a small spot to hide between two book shelves. She leant against the wall and slid down to the floor. As she touched the floor, she let out a heart shattering sob as she brought her knees to her chest, crying and sniffing back tears as memories of her clan rushed into her head.

They were all but decimated and she knew it. Bandits or slavers had attacked them. Slashing aravels and shooting fiery arrows at everything they had. She was certain that many fled, mainly woman with their young children. The hunters had been out at that moment, following a group of scouts who said they had found a massive relic buried in the dirt. They had been defenceless. When they attacked Shaya and some of the others and fought back, eventually most realised that they were outnumbered and ran. Shaya couldn't run. Her twin brother had been sick and couldn't fend for himself and her mother and Mutaar were with the hunters, and her father had just been struck down. Eventually she found her brother, still alive and stumbling through the flames. When an attacker ran at her, she struck him with a short blade she had wielded since a young age. Despite her magic, she could fight hand to hand and right then this unfamiliar talent had saved her life. She found Kidrah and grabbed his hand, trying to pull him out of the remains of their camp. But she was too late. A group of bandits caught them both and slew her brother there and then, eyeing her with lust and greed. As her brother fell, she screamed bloody murder, rage filling her up and giving her strength. Her hand found the hilt of a man's blade and she drew it, attacking them in fits of fury and throwing balls of fire at the five remaining men who had stayed to strip her precious camp. As she fought, she felt a red hot stab of pain and spun around, slashing her blade and letting a wave of ice erupt towards the man who had stabbed her. When all lay dead she fell to her knees, sobbing as she dragged herself to her brother's body, his head lulled to the side and lightless eyes rolled into his skull. She cried and screamed in rage until she had nearly bled to death. Then the templars found her. She didn't know how but they told her they'd help her, heal her wounds and she so unwittingly believed them. When she begged them to help her find the rest of her clan, they simply looked away, daring not tell her that she may never see them again.

The thoughts of if filled her with anger and she gripped her amulet, her sobs growing softer and softer. When it was finally done, her legs slid away, sprawled in front of her. She wiped her face refusing to go back to her room. She sat on the floor for what seemed like hours and slipped into a dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 STM

She was woken by a scream of terror so loud it could wake a sleeping dragon. Shaya pulled herself up, body aching from sleeping on the uncomfortable floor. She tried to stretch her body, stepping out of the corner she was in and looked over the empty library.

It was dark, no light on and only a beam of moonlight in the middle of the room. She moved to the light and looked out the window, tilting her head and closing her eyes, letting the light rest on her face. She could hear crashing and yelling outside the room and spun around, confusion growing as she watched the door burst open, a mage standing in the doorway and tilting his head to the side.

He eyed her carefully and stood up straight. Shaya saw his silver staff in one hand and a knife in the other. The knife dripped blood onto the floor. As he repositioned his hand on his staff, she saw blood staining the silver, from his fresh slash on his hand. Shaya didn't need more to know what was happening. This man had used a blood sacrifice to enhance his own talents. He watched her carefully and she watched him. Finally she broke the silence.

"What are you doing? Who was screaming?"

"Isn't it obvious, elf? We're sick of the templars watching us. Time to take back our freedom."

"With blood magic?" her eyes moved to the man's wounds, stepping back slowly.

"It's a means to an end. They left us no choice." He shrugged. Shaya shook her head.

"There is always a choice... but never that. There are always consequences." She remembered a conversation at that moment. She and the other mages in her clan were speaking to the keeper and He warned them about the dangers of blood magic, and how it attracted all demons. The man gave a wicked smirk.

"An Idealist? Too bad, heard you were a tough one, we could have used you."

Shaya flung herself out of the way just as the burst of energy came at her. She hit the floor and rolled to her feet. He threw waves and waves at her and she fought with her stiff limbs to keep out of range. She leapt behind a book shelf, lowering herself and gasping for breath. She hadn't fought in hand to hand in ages, and she knew much of her own spells would be wasted on a blood mage. All the same, she fired small shards of ice at the man's feet, taking delight when he screamed in agony. She leant against the wall, searching for something to work with, her eyes catching a letter opener someone had left on the table. She snatched it up, hearing the man mutter to himself. She risked a peek from her hiding spot.

Her mouth gaped in horror as the man summoned what seemed to be a wisp of smoke. It rose from the ground, up to his raised arms. Shaya didn't wait to see what it was. She jumped from her safe spot, lunging at the man and throwing all the fire power she had at him. His concentration broke for a moment to deflect it, the growth of the smoky figure ending. She followed behind her attack, leaping over the sinking smoke and stabbing violently at the man with the letter opener. As she pierced his heart she gaped in horror as he died instantly.

Shaya backed away from the man, the smoky creature fading into the floor. She dropped the blood stained blade to the floor as she sunk to her knees, violently wretching and vomiting. When she was done, she wiped her clean had over her mouth and her blood splattered hand over her robe. She rose up slowly, averting her gaze from the corpse and picking up the letter opener. She outstretched her hand and let a mass of white energy rise to her finger tips. She let it settle there and walked out the room, refusing to leave without any preparation for an oncoming attack. What she saw in the hall would never leave her mind. Her eyes shut a moment too late to see the bodies of mages and apprentices through the hall. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and murmured to herself.

"Falon'din, guide them safely into the beyond." She opened her eyes slowly and stepped through the bodies, making her way to the apprentice quarters. Her hand out stretched as she walked. She could hear screaming and crashing above her and she wondered if there were more mages even on this floor.

She arrived at her room, seeing three dead on the floor and shaking as she walked to her bed. She bent down and pulled out a trunk, a box with all she had left, objects she had salvaged from her burning camp right before the templars took her away. She pulled out a canvas sack lined with thin chain and hemp for water proofing. She could hang over her back and place the contents of the box into it. Of the things she pulled out, there had been a prayer and song book and she hugged it close before sliding it into the canvas bag and straddling it onto her back. Then she moved to the bodies of the girls. One of them had been a girl who had always taken great delight in mocking Shaya. Now she stared up at her with lifeless eyes and Shaya only felt sorrow and regret for the girl who would not live to her harrowing. She left her room, magic in one hand and blade in the other.

She walked slowly through the halls to get to the exit. She stopped when she saw the barrier over the entrance. She had no doubt it was erected by mages to seal them from attacks, and she could just call to them to let her through, but something stopped her. This was her only chance. No templars guarding doors, no one watching her. If she could get into the phylactery chamber, she was free. She made up her mind in a second and spun around, running from the area to get to the stairs leading to her freedom.


End file.
